Mohammed Alkhudair
Professor Harris
IENG 461
8 Sept 2015
Branham v. Ford Motor Co.
Summary:
Cheryl Hale purchased a 1987 Ford Bronco in 1999. The vehicle had approximately 137K miles. Two years after the purchase, Hale had an accident on the vehicle she purchased that was manufactured in 1986 by Ford Motor Co. (Defendant). Based on the research, Hale was driving with her child, who was in the passenger seat, and with Jesse Branham (Plaintiff). The Plaintiff was in the backseat, and none of them were wearing a seatbelt. The product liability case is from 2010 and was filed because when Hale took her eyes off the road and looked to the back seat, the direction of the vehicle was altered. Hale then tried to redirect the Ford Bronco, and in the process the vehicle flipped. As a result of the accident, the Plaintiff was thrown out of the vehicle and suffered injuries. The Twin I-Beam suspension was not the better choice for safety, according to Ford engineers; however, in the aspect of marketing, it would be more profitable. Moreover, the Defendant’s engineers opposed the selected suspension on the Ford model. Facts about the case stated, “This had a cascading effect on the composite makeup of the vehicle, which detrimentally moved the center of gravity higher off the ground.”…show more content… The Defendant argued that the Plaintiff failed to prove that the alternative suspension was safer than the suspension used in the Ford